Hosiery repair apparatus



March 11,1958 L. A. ANDRE 2,825,054

HosIEPY REPAIR APPARATUS Filed Feb. 24. 195e y:a sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY EEA w VIII/lll A yLucclno Argentin Andre March ll, 1958 L. A. ANDRE HOSIERY REPAIR APARA'IV'US 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 24, 1956 s Il INVENTOR.- Luciano Argentin Andre United States Patenti() HOSIERY REPAIR APPARATUS Luciano Argentin Andr, Mexico City, Mexico Application February 24, 1956, Serial No. 567,577

The present inventionis related in general to mechanical apparatus, devices, or accessories, and especially to small machines for relooping runs in womens stockings, and refers more particularly to a novel, useful and very practical improved apparatus for relooping hosiery, which apparatus provides great and very appreciable advantages over similar apparatus used and known heretofore. i

The small machines or apparatus for reloopingthe runs frequently occurring in ne ladies stockings are well known, but said apparatus must be operated manually with Ia constant effort of the hand or, rather, of the wrist, so that after the operators have been working with them for a number of hours, the task becomes exhausting and frankly very painful. I have `described in my prior U. S. Patent No. 2,714,297 apparatus-which tends to remedy this serious drawback, eliminating 75% of the work required of the opera-tor and almost all the manual effort.

Briey stated, the apparatus of said prior patentcomprises a pneumatic pump adaptable to -any sewing machine on the part to which the needle is secured and which has a vertical movement, said pump being provided with its corresponding ball valve and air regulator. Said pneumatic pump transmits compressed air through a flexible tube or conduit, especially of very flexible rubber, leading to another small pump to the piston of which is ad-apted a part for holding the needle which performs the relooping. Said piston is provided with a spring the resistance of which overcomes the piston thrust and with a similar small spring which acts as a shock absorber. Thus, as the sewing machine or any other mechanical drive transmits, by means of its mechanical movement, a reciprocating movement to the pist-on of the larger pneumatic pump, the latter in turn transmits movement to the smaller pump connected thereto, furnishing an up-anddown movement to its piston and accordingly to the needle secured to the end of said piston lby means of an appropriate device, s'o that the operator need exert no effort whatsoever to push through the relooping needle and only has to guide said needle along the run to be repaired.

As will easily be understood, the prior apparatus has two very important basic advantages: The lirst is that is can be adapted to any sewing machine to furnish the power and reciprocating movement required for operation of the needle; and the second is that there is provided an apparatus having an automatic movement which eliminates the elfort which must lbe exerted by the hand in lall simil-ar apparatus used and known heretofore, thus simplifying to the minimum the operative work and relieving -to a large extent the exhausting nature of the work performed by the operators during a day of work. Furthermore, it can be Iadapted to any type machine with a minor change in the clamp bar, both to electric and pedal-operated sewing machines, without using any tool. Its performance is far more perfect than that of any of ICC the manually operated machines us'ed vand known before, in addition to which its eciency is greater and its output also is greater. They are appreciably more economical than the manual machines previously known and used, and far more simple to operate than said manual devices. The device of said prior patent is of a very small size and so light in weight that it can even be carried in a pocket. i

It is one object of the present invention to provide a hosiery repair apparatus which renders due to the improved structure a considerable reduction in the amount of fatigue experienced in using the apparatus and also greatly improves the quality of the work obtainable by said apparatus.

It is -another object of the present invention to provide 'a -hosisery repair apparatus in which several very usefulimprovements have been incorporated over my prior apparatus, which improvements are designed to produce a more perfect working and better control by the operator in the use of the apparatus.

With these and other objects in view which will become -apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automatic apparatus"A for relooping stockings, constructed in accordance withthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus, the flexible conduct-or tube, uniting the two elements which substantially constitute said apparatus, being cut;

Fig, 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus of the invention, similar to that shown in Fig. l, partly in longitudinal section along each of its parts, for the purpose of illustrating the parts which form said apparatus and the internal arrangement thereof;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the piston and needle carrier of the smaller pump, guided by hand;

Fig. 5 is likewise an elevational view of the part constituting the shock absorber of said piston;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus partly dismantled; and

Fig. 7 is va fragmentary view of a part thereof.

vBefore describing in detail the improved apparatus for relooping hosisery, of my invention, I wish it to be clearly understood that the drawings illustrate only by way of example one of the preferred forms of carrying out the invention, without said invention being limited to the specic details illustrated in the drawings and described in the following specification or description. Recourse may therefore be had to such variations `and modifications as may become or be considered necessary or,

convenient in practice, without departing from the principles and scope of the invention and within the scope of the `claims annexed hereto. For example, it is obvious that the part serving as a support for the pneumatic pump may be varied or changed according to the type of sewing machine to which it be adapted or to the mechanical movement transmitted to its piston; likewise the control bar of the piston may be changed for the same reasons.

As illustrated in the attached drawings, the apparatus consists substantially of two principal elements united and connected by a small ilexible tube, said elements being a pneumatic pump which transmits compressed air to another similar but smaller pump, with the looping y needle adapted to the end of its piston. The pneumatic compressed-air pump comprises a metal tube 10, the sapproximate dimensions of which are, enunciatively and not restrictively, 25 mm. in diameter and 75 mm. in length, said metal tube constituting the body of the compressed air pump. At one of its ends (the lower as seen in the drawing), it is provided with a metal plug 11 (Figs. 1 and 3 of `the drawings), in which there is adapted a ball valve 12, for the absorption of fair, and a special screw 13 which acts as a jet for regulating the air pressure, so that if it is closed, either the maximum air pressure can be utilized Jor the escape of part of the pressure allowed to reduce the same, as will appear later. Near the lower edge of tube 10, `as shown in Figs, 3 and 6 of the drawings, there is a small metall-ic tube 14, for the outlet `of compressed air by means of piston (Fig. 3) which moves tightly within tube 10 and is driven by rod 16. Said piston 15 is provided wit-h and carries attached to its under surface a box-shaped packing 17, inside which is fitted the perforated disc or washer 18. Packing 17 and washer 18 are adjusted to piston 15 by means of screw 19, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

At `the opposite end of tube 10 (the upper end in the drawings) is mounted an annular attachment part 20, which is pressure-adjusted by means of screw 21 (Fig. 2). Said annular pressure part has an extension 22, provided with bore 3, which is adjusted by means of screw 24. This extension 22 permits of connecting the apparatus wherever may be most convenient, but principally to a sewing machine as, for example, to the xed bar on the front portion of a sewing machine.

The said piston 15 is operated, as aforestated, by a small connecting rod 16, having ball-shaped ends 25 and 26. Ball 26 is lodged with some degree of clearance with respect to piston 15, said connecting rod 16 projecting through bore 27, whereas upper ball 25 is lodged in a small bar 28 (approximate dimension, 50 mm.) provided on its front end with a screw 29 having a bored head 30. This bar v28 can be adapted, by means of its screw 29-30, to the movable part of the sewing machine, thatis to the part to which the needle is adapted, which moves vertically up and down. In this manner the sewing machine transmits a vertical up-and-down movement to bar 28, connecting rod 16 and piston 15, for compressing the air inside tube 10, which air is fed or absorbed by means of ball valve 12 and expelled through tube 14. In other words, the sewing machine supplies to part 2S, a vertical up-and-down movement which said part in turn transmits to connecting rod 16 and successively to piston 15, which functions to compress the air inside tube 10, absorbed by said tube during its upward stroke by means of valve 12, injecting this compressed air during its downstroke through tube 14 adapted to plug 11 and communicating with the inside of tube 10.

Tube 14 injects the compressed air, by means of flexible tube 30 (preferably of rubber), to the other device which completes this apparatus and is described below:

Said device, which completes the apparatus, is the one which is guided by hand to reloop the damaged article, being held as one holds a pencil or like article, and cousists of a part 31, generally quadrangular in section provided with a longitudinal bore 32 centrically disposed and a similar bore 33 transversally disposed and connected to the former. This piece 31, which constitutes the head of the manual device, is provided at its end with a tube 34, connected to longitudinal bore 32, said tube projecting sufficiently to serve as a connection with exible tube 30 already mentioned. Said tube 34 provides the pneumatic communication between the two devices forming the apparatus. On its opposite end, said head 31 has a threaded portion 35 (Fig. 3), to which is screwed a tube or tubular part 36, terminating in a conical shape, as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings. Inside this tubular part 36 is lodged a piston 37 (Fig. 4 of the drawings), likewise tubular and having a threaded portion on its front end, for receiving screw 38 which secures, together with washer 39, pressure packing 40. Around tubular piston 37 there is disposed a spiral spring 41, which acts as an antagonistic spring and the resistance of which overcomes the compressed air passing through tube 4 31)"to push piston 37 outwardly, causing a certain portion thereof to vproject outside of tubular part 36.

Piston 37, which is displaced reciprocatorily or up and down inside said tubular part 36, is provided with slots 42 (Fig. 4) traversing it from side to side, which slots 42 limit the stroke of said piston 37.

Inside piston 37 which, as aforesaid, is tubular and forms a shoulder7 is lodged a small cylinder 43 (Fig. 5), with a small bore 44 and a spring 45 at its end, said spring acting to damp the shock of the stroke of said piston. Crossing slots 42 and small bore i4 is a tine bolt or crosspiece 46, formed as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings, which small crosspiece 46 also passes into iine perforations made close to the conical end ot' tubular part 36.

At its outward end, piston 37 has a threaded portion 47 terminating in a conical tube 48 covered with a conical plug 49, which constitutes the needle-carrying device of the apparatus. To this needle-carrier 49 `is adapted and secured any needle of those available on the market for relooping a stocking stitch article containing a run.

The air compressed by the pneumatic pump inside tube 10 is conducted by flexible tube 30 to the combination of parts above-described, which constitute the manual device of the present apparatus; so that upon covering with a finger the transversal bore 33 in head 31 of said device (which bore constitutes an air exhaust to stop operation of the device when not desired), said compressed airpresses against small piston 37 which performs its reciprocatory movement with the cooperation of the antagonistic spring 41, said motion being transmitted to the needle adapted to needle-carrier 49, disposed at the end of said piston, whereby such motion allows of picking up the displaced stitches of the stocking or the like, restoring them to their original position.

The screw and washer 50, strategically disposed close to the edge of tube 10 and on the annular fastening piece 20 serve exclusively to avoid any undue displacement of plunger 15, the upper surface of which abuts said washer and screw 50.

As clearly shown in the drawings, the small metallic tube 14 projects from the end face of plug 11, and the latter extends to carry a screw thread 11 to which a plastic cone 112 carrying complementary thread is screwed.. The plastic cone 112 enters a recess 113 and covers partly the exible tube 30 connected with the small metallic tube 14 and also the jet special screw 13, both parts projecting from plug 11 of cylinder 10. The arrangement brings about the following three important effects: Firstly, a protection Vof the special screw 13 and tube 14 from shocks and rough handling, said tube 14 being very delicate because of its small diameter, and prevention of its escape from cylinder 1t) in an unprotected manner; secondly, prevention by curious, unskilled and idle hands from detaehing the flexible tube 30 from the metallic tube 14, and especially from unscrewing the special screw 13 and the adjusting nut which locks it, thus' possibly damaging and above all upsetting the calibration of the air passage and thereby rendering the relooping device inoperative until a skilled person restores the deicate and exact adjustment; thirdly, the added protection, which at the same time provides an attractive and esthetic appearance of the air compressor, by means of the plastic parabolic or pointed cone 112 which is screwed at its base to the threaded portion 11 of the plug 11. setting in the groove 11a of the plug 11, the surface of the cylinder 10 thus being flush with the base of the cone 112. The parabola starts at the line of contact between plastic and metal and terminates in a level truncation parallel to the base, and drilled to allow the exible tube 30' to pass through, so that it may run from there towards the manual part or relooping device.

Still another improvement over the structure of my prior rpatent resides in the arrangement according to which the connecting rod 16 whose ball-shaped ends 2S and 26 connect the bar 28 with the piston 15, and which was in the former structure of metal and rigid, is now of plastic material and protected along its entire length between the head of the piston 15 and the bar 28, by means of a thin tube 16. The ends of the connecting rod 16 are inserted in holes appropriately drilled into the bar 28, and into the piston 15 and the connecting rod 16 is axially adjustable and retained by means of respective set screws 162 and 163 (Figs. 6 and 7) set transversally in said piston 15 and bar 28, respectively, in the respective adjusted positions.

This new arrangement of the actuating device of the piston greatly simpliiies its construction and, without interfering with its traction and drive, it furnishes liexibility for good work, particularly when there is any misalignment between the bar and the cylinder.

A still further feature of the present invention resides in the arrangement according to which in the part 31 of the looping device two oppositely disposed concavities 31 have been provided for placing the tips of the lingers which control part 31, thus preventing slipping and fatigue of the iingers since due to the concavities 31' the manual devi-ce cannot slide during operation, and it is not necessary to exert any effort to hold it up and operate it along the material, so that more and better repairing is achieved.

While I have disclosed one embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by example only and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determined by the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. In a hosiery repair apparatus operated by the needle carrying reciprocating member of a sewing machine, the combination of a bar adapted to be secured to said needle carrying reciprocating member, a xed first tube and a piston reciprocating in said tube, a plastic rod liexible at least for a part of its length and connecting said bar with said piston, a plug at one end of said tube, said tube combined with said piston and said plug defining an air chamber, an air valve in said plug for communication of said chamber with the atmosphere, a tubular member extending through said plug and projecting from and beyond the outer end face of said plug, and a flexible tube connected at one end with said tubular member, with a relooping tool comprising a second tube provided at one end with an opening and at its opposite end with means having an inlet port connected with said flexible tube for admission of pulsation of air under pressure and an exhaust port, a tubular piston element mounted in the tube and extending through the opening, said tubular piston element carrying a packing at its lower end and a needle clamp at its upper end, a crosspiece projecting through said second tube for limiting the reciprocable movement of said tubular piston element and cushioning .the shock including slots in the tubular piston element,

a spring disposed in said second tube between said packing Iand said crosspiece, a pin secured in the tube and extending through the slots, a plug mounted on the pin, and a spring in the tubular piston element between a. shoulder therein andthe plug.

2. The hosiery repair apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, in which the end portions of said connecting rod are of flexible material.

3. The hosiery repair apparatus, as set forth in claim l, which -includes an addition-al tube surrounding said connecting rod and covering the exposed length of said connecting rod in order to stiien that portion of said connecting rod which is disposed remote from its connecting ends.

4. The hosiery repair apparatus, as set forth in claim l, which includes set screws disposed in said bar and in said piston, respectively, adjacent the end portions of said connecting rod in order to mount the latter adjustably between said bar and said piston.

5. The hosiery repair apparatus, as set forth in claim l, which includes a tapered cup member engaging one end face of said first tube, said cup member being of a width at its widest portion to provide a flush connection between said first tube and said cup member.

6. A relooping tool, comprising a tube provided at one end with an opening and at its opposite end with means having an inlet port for admission of pulsation of air under pressure and an exhaust port, a tubular piston element mounted in said tube and extending through the opening, said tubular piston element carrying a packing at its lower end and a needle clamp at its upper end, a crosspiece projecting through said tube for limiting the reciprocable movement of said tubular piston element and cushioning the shock including slots in said tubular piston element, a spring disposed in said tube between said packing and said crosspiece, a pin Asecured in said tube and extending through said slots, a iirst plug mounted on said pin, and a spring in said tubular piston element between a shoulder therein and said plug, the inlet port and the exit port being formed in a second plug inserted in said tube, the exit port being open for application of the linger of the operator to control the movement of said tubular piston element, the said second plug having oppositely disposed recesses on its outer face, one of said recesses surrounding said exit port, in order to provide means for holding said relooping tool with the finger tips.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,867,579 Mandelick July 19, 1932 2,390,329 Runcie et al. Dec. 4, 1945 2,465,403 Smith Mar. 29, 1949 2,714,297 Andre Aug. 2, 1955 

